Bermuda?s best junior sailors will be looking to give themselves early Christmas presents in the upcoming second annual XL Capital Bermuda International Optimist Regatta.

However, their quest for glory will not be smooth sailing as 41 of their international peers from 13 countries will be challenging for supremacy in the December 19-22 event in the Great Sound.

Hosted by the Bermuda Optimist Dinghy Association (BODA), the regatta will see top sailors from Greece, Germany, Britain, Argentina, Italy, Mexico, Chile, Denmark, Poland, Canada, Norway, Croatia and the USA battling for honours alongside 30 Bermudians. The visiting competitors ? who started arriving earlier this week with coaches and parents ? have been chosen from their respective countries? World Championship teams and include two-time world champion and defending champion in the XL Capital Bermuda International Optimist Regatta Filip Matika of Croatia.

Among those carrying the Island?s hopes are North American Optimist champion Elijah Simmons, Oliver Riihiluoma, Cameron Pimentel, William Hutchings, Sean Bouchard, Jordan Saints, Josh Greenslade, James Anfossi, Jason Saints, Haley Powell, Eleanor Gardner, Ryan Saraiva, Anthony Bailey and Martin Finegan.

BODA president Eddie Saints is confident those selected to represent Bermuda will ?do us very proud?.

?We?re racing against the top juniors in the world ? this is of World Championship quality ? and the competition will be very stiff but we?re capable of holding our own any time.

?We?re hopeful that we will have quite a few in the top 15, after all we?re in our own backyard. I believe our sailors can do very well and they could pull out some big surprises,? predicted the sailing chief, terming it ?a wonderful opportunity for our local sailors to experience international racing here at home?.

In addition, he noted, the event offered international participants serious competitive racing in a safe and warm environment at this time of year.

Saints also disclosed the first two segments of BODA?s three-part trials for the World Championships as well as South and North American Championships would be held in conjunction with the regatta.

On Saturday, the Bermudian contingent will race among themselves in part one of the trials while part two will consist of their top eight results in the international regatta. The third and final section of the trials will be held on January 29 and 30.

Saints urged the public to support the regatta and thanked sponsors and volunteers for their involvement in the event as well as families who have agreed to host sailors from overseas.